Needs assessment
Following the identification of child labour, a needs assessment is conducted to identify the root causes of child labour in the affected household and to determine the immediate and long-term needs of these households. This helps to design targeted interventions to address the unique needs of each affected household and to effectively address the issue of child labour long-term. Most respondents across partner cooperatives reported a positive experience with the needs assessment process. Many cocoa farmers expressed that the needs assessment process made them feel respected, involved and valued, which fostered a strong sense of belonging to their cooperative. The extent to which households felt that their needs had been considered in the final remediation activities implemented, varied. While the majority of participants in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana felt their needs had been considered, some households felt their specific needs and preferences were not adequately considered when determining the type of support they received. Although they were consulted, some felt that decisions were ultimately made for them rather than with them, a sentiment that was particularly pronounced in certain groups. In some cases, researchers found this was due to limited availability of specific support activities that households wanted to receive in certain partner cooperatives, often related to skills training. Cooperatives are responding to this by increasing the variety of support activities where possible, enabling families to choose from a broader range of activities that address their needs and preferences more directly. One cooperative in Côte d’Ivoire has created a learning unit in sewing and gastronomy where children coming from various villages can come and benefit from training, effectively diversifying its offer for vocational training. Similarly, the labour brigade support has been adapted and is being strengthened through a dedicated programme at Tony’s Open Chain. The waiting period for remediation support after identifying child labourers varied by cooperative. 55% of study participants across all cooperatives reported that they had received support within 1-3 months. 23% reported receiving support within 4-6 months, and approximately 22% reported waiting more than 7 months. These results will inform how we track and improve on the speed of our remediation support and have played a role in Tony’s Open Chain’s decision to transition from a third-party to in-house system for managing CLMRS.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker